The Seed

The Seed A successful businessman was growing old and Knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, He decided to do something different. He called all the young executives In his company together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I haveDecided to choose one of you. "The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. "I am goingTo give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed water it, and come back here one year fromToday with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will beThe next CEO." One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, receivedA seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story.She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had Grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began toTalk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have aPlant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he hadKilled his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he hadNothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however... He just keptWatering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the young executives of the companyBrought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to hisStomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but heKnew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazedAt the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful-- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and Many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him! When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his youngExecutives. Jim just tried to hide in the back.. "My, what great plants, trees, andFlowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointedThe next CEO!" All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with hisEmpty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a Failure! Maybe he will have me fired!" When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to hisSeed - Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim.He looked at Jim, and thenAnnounced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief ExecutiveOfficer! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed. "How could he be the new CEO?" the others said. Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room aSeed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back toMe today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was notPossible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seedFor the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot withMy seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief ExecutiveOfficer!" * If you plant honesty, you will reap trust * If you plant goodness, you will reap friends * If you plant humility, you will reap greatness * If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment * If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective * If you plant hard work, you will reap success * If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation * If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.. "Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back" This was e-mailed to me also, thanks sis, I do not know who wrote it. It is good reading